Adelaide Zoo: South East Asia Rainforest Exhibit

It's known as the 'Open Zoo', 28 hectares of lush tropical rainforest that's home to three and a half thousand animals. "We have a very open concept, minimal barriers, I think we're very user friendly, we think a lot of our guests and we see how we can get the animals as close and as visible as possible to them." 95 percent of the 240 species were born in captivity and were gathered from a pool of Zoo's world-wide. For 20 years its been exchanging animals with Singapore - in the past eight - 50 have been transferred - destined for a new life in this wildlife wonderland. "We say, hey Adelaide Zoo has this animal and lets - since we know Adelaide - call them and ask if they want to send it" Bernard Harrison from the Singapore Zoo tells us.

But behind that relaxed air is a serious motivation, a carefully planned exercise to conserve animal populations. "Basically as a rule of thumb you need 500 animals to maintain a population Ad Finitium - if you have less, the chances of inbreeding are great so we try to maintain a database of a million or so animals." Those to now call Singapore home include a male Brazilian Tapir, Barbary Sheep and a number of inquisitive Otters. But soon to call Adelaide home is this Southern White Rhino. A young female earmarked for Monarto hopefully later this year. "We're delighted to be getting her because she's the first one we'll have at Monarto and we'll get a second one from somewhere else and we'll start a breeding colony." "The beauty about the exchange program is its built around what's been described as a 'gentleman's agreement'. There's no pricing of animals, no I'll give you an Orangatan if you give me something of equal value. In fact, it may be years before Adelaide needs a certain species but when it does it knows it can rely on the Singapore Zoo." And that bond goes beyond simply exchanging animals. Adelaide's South East Asian Rainforest Exhibition - opened in 1995 - was born of an exchange of ideas with the Singapore Zoo. "You see Singapore Zoo, it's a very good Zoo so that is something you've got in the back of your mind when you're designing the exhibit."

And the star attraction here is Su-Long a male Malaysian Tapir from Singapore that was put on show just an hour before the exhibition was officially opened. "He had to be kept insect free for about two weeks in Singapore, came out here in an insect proof box, we had to put in an area that was insect proof so it's been a very long process." And its a process that will continue - Adelaide Zoo's philosophy is to develop its relationship with South East Asia so that eventually 60 percent of our exhibits will be from that region. "I know it will continue long after I'm gone because the relationship has been built over quite a number of years now. It's gone on for 25 years I don't see why it shouldn't go on forever." For more information you can phone the Zoo on 8267 3255 or email info@postcards.sa.com.au